SILIKE Egg Fertility-how long to wait? and other questions?

[BBK]

ok, so both of my silkies are laying now...

And believe it or not, one of them goes up the ramp to lay. NONE of them (3) go up the ramp to go to bed! I have to pick them up and put them in the coop....

They started laying a week ago. I've been reading... NOT to try hatching newly laid eggs, so what's the time table for this? A week? A month? When is it good to try?

And a surprise for me, I thought they laid white eggs and I got 2 cute light cream ones. the darker one, always dirty and the lighter one, always clean. Can someone explain why this happens?
I've check all butts...

yuk! and everything looks good...

Oh, and I've been checking for fertility and there's that bullseye, so I know it's a yes. I've been opening up 2 a day, scrambling them and feeding to baby cochins, they love'em.....

It seems I learn something new everyday...thanks to all

Melinda

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not sure of a specific timetable. It is a matter of the size of the egg. If the egg is too small, the developing chick has trouble moving around and getting in the right position to hatch. I know some people have hatched the small pullet eggs, but the hatch rate is usually worse and the possibility of weak or deformed chicks is higher. My pullets are 28 weeks and I have a few that are laying eggs large enough that I would try to hatch some if a hen went broody, but most are not big enough for me to try.

I don't have silkies so I'm not sure how large their eggs need to be. I do know that the eggs do gradually get larger as they age. My first one started laying at 18 weeks. I'm not sure she is one that is laying the larger eggs, but I think so.

 

[BBK]

Thanks...with my bigger girls, I did see a difference in size after awhile, so maybe you're right. They've been laying since Aug.

on the silkies, I can't imagine them getting that much bigger, but who knows for sure... They're about one and a quarter inch tall.

ok...so if it's a size question, then how big should my eggs be B4 I tried to hatch them? 2"?

thanks again
melinda

i love the lil yiipchick guy!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't have silkies so I can't help you on how big a silkie egg will get. Hopefully some experienced silkie owners will chime in.